2018 Scott County Hall of Fame Dinner, held at the Boys and Girls Club of the Cumberlands, we were honored to accept the Volunteer of the Year award on behalf of all that volunteer at For the Love of Paws.

Lauren Jeffers, President

Meet For the Love of Paws, Inc Board Members.......

Lauren is a wife, mother and advocate for the stray and abandoned animals in Scott County, TN. She, her husband and 4 dogs moved to Scott County in August of 2012. Lauren was former rescue dog foster and volunteer in her home town of Mount Holly, NC. After moving to Scott County she began volunteering with For the Love of Paws, Inc in October 2012. Over the last few years Lauren has worked her way up through the organization to Vice President of the Board and in January of 2015 became President. Lauren's goal is to decrease the number of unwanted dogs and cat in our community through low cost spay and neuter, rescue, fostering and adoption.

Low Cost Spay & Neuter hotline number has changed.

New Number 423-226-1770

History and Strategic Plan

For the Love of Paws, Inc. was started in late 2009 by a small group of concerned citizens to address the overpopulation and abandonment of domestic animals in Scott County, TN. Ours is a rural community with approximately 22,000 residents and high unemployment; no government entity provides any funding for any form of animal control or shelter options within our boundaries.

For the Love of Paws History and Strategic Plan

Dan & Linda Byrge retired to Scott County in September of 2014 from Michigan and one month later they signed up to work a fundraiser at For the Love of Paws and have been with the organization ever since... Moving to this area showed them that many dogs are neglected and abandoned by owners who get them and then don't have the means to properly care for them.Their hope for Scott County is to educate people on the importance of animal overpopulation and responsibility of pet ownership....They have 2 rescue dogs, Ruby & Sadie and are raising their 12 yr old grandson, Josh.

Linda Byrge, Vice President

Dan Byrge, Board Member

Our mission is to humanely reduce the number of stray and abandoned dogs and cats in our community by providing low cost spay and neuter services and educational opportunities that promote responsible pet ownership.

In 2012, the organization was officially incorporated. We achieved our 501(c)(3) status, established a Board of Directors and immediately began partnerships with the local vets, several spay/neuter clinics and programs in surrounding counties. Grants, donations and fundraisers are our primary sources of revenue. By December of 2018 over 2,951 dogs and cats have been spayed or neutered. Additionally over 800 dogs and cats have been fostered, adopted or transported to other no-kill groups.

Realizing that the key to success is to reduce the overpopulation, we have begun focusing primarily on providing low cost spay and neuter services for the community and educating the public on responsible pet ownership.

In 2013, we developed our educational community outreach targeted at K-6. Working with the local Boys and Girls Club and elementary schools we are presenting our program on responsible pet ownership several times a year.

As resources are available, we take in stray/abandon animals, have them spayed/neutered, vaccinated, provide needed medical care and adopt them out or transfer the animals to other like minded agencies outside Scott County. We also assist others in the community who are fostering stray or abandon animals to spay/neuter & re-home.

Our five year plan is to spay/neuter 500 dogs and cats annually and expand our educational outreach program to elementary, middle schools, high schools and throughout the community. The 500 animals we “fix” annually will conservatively prevent 2000 unwanted puppies and kittens that year. Since the cat/dog reproduction life is about 5-8 years, we believe if we are successful, we will have made a significant positive impact in the community.

Help us by being part of the solution. Make sure your pets are fixed, spread the word about our spay/neuter hotline 423 226-1770. Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/4loveofpaws, volunteer or make a donation to Love of Paws, P.O. Box 163, Huntsville, TN 37756. Together, we can make a positive difference in our community!